Car-cleaning apparatus



Nov. 29, 1927. 1,651,045

S. L. SMITH CAR CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 19, 1925 2 h heet 2 FIELZ.

- chine and against the wheels.

Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

SIDNEY L. SMITH, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.-

CAR-CLEANING APPARATUS.

Application filed August 19, 1925. Serial No. 51.161.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in apparatus for washing automobiles and has for its object the provision .of a tank over which the machine may be run and the arrangement within said tank of means whereby the water in the tank may so be agitated as to impinge on the underside of the ma- Provision is also made for directing jets of water against the sides and tops of the body of the machine and the mud guards. It is a further object of the invention to provide adjacent to the Washing tank, means for mechanically removing moisture adhering to the machine after, washing. The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus claimed herein; Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 are sectional elevations on planes indicated by the lines IIII, Fig. 1 and IIIIII, Fig. 2.

In the practice of the invention the car is run onto rails 1 extending across a plurality of open topped pockets 2 preferably arranged in a pit below the floor of a garage or the'ground level. The line of pockets which are at an angle to the rails extend for a distance substantially greater than the length of cars to be washed, and the pockets have a length preferably a little greater than the width of the car including the mudguards, so that water thrown up from the pockets will impinge on the undersides of the ards as well as the bottom of the body of t e car. As water may be thrown or d1- verted horizontally beyond the limits of the pit, provision is made for the return of such water to the pockets by means of surfaces 3 and 4 arranged along the ends and sides of the pit and inclined downwardly towards the same, as shown. The rails 1 extend across the inclined surfaces 3 at the ends of the pit or line of pockets.

Any suitable means may be employed for so agitating the water in the pockets that it will be thrown up with considerable force against the undersides of the body and mudguards of the car. It is preferred that the side of the car.

pockets should be V-shaped and extend transversely of the rails and to arrange within these pockets blades 5 and adapted to be so oscillated as to cause such a back and forth surging of the water in the pockets. The water when so moved will be directed upwardly by the inclined sides of the pockets with considerable force and in considerable quantities against the under- In the construction shown, the blades are provided at their ends and adjacent to their lower edges with trunnions 6 which are supported by U-shaped bearings 7 on the end walls of the pockets, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. While these blades may be rocked by any suitable means, the construction shown will be found eflicient and consists of one or more rods 8- connected at one end to crank arms 9 on a.

driven shaft 10 and extending between lugs 11 on the blades to which they are connected by ins passing through the lugs and holes in t e rods.

As will be readily understood the dirt removed from a car will be carried back into the ockets and the water will soon become too oul for'use. In order to avoid the frequent renewal of water in the pockets, provision is made for the removal of the dirt from the water. To this end the pockets are connected by a pipe 12 to a receiving tank 13 from which the water can flow through filtering material 14: into a delivery tank 15 from which the clean water is returned to the pockets by a pump 16 having a valved delivery pipe 17.

In order to remove dirt from the sides and top of the car body and the upper sides of the mud guards, a plurality of perforated pipes 18 are connected to the pipe 17 and are so arranged that jets of waterwill be so directed against the body of the car and the mud guards as to effect a thoroughcleansing of such parts.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. An apparatus for cleaning cars having in combination rails for supporting the car, a plurality of open-topped liquid containing pockets arranged below the car supporting rails, blades movably supported on the pockets and means for so shifting the blades as to force the liquid against the under side axes of movement adjacent to their lower of the car. edges, and means for oscillating the blades 2. An apparatus for cleaning cars having to cause the cleaning liquid to splash up 10 in combination rails for supporting a car, 8. against the underside of the car. 5 plurality of V-shaped ogen-topped pockets In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set adapted to contain was in liquid, blades mv hand. extending down into the poo ets and having SIDNEY L. SMITH. 

